: any of a family (Gryllidae) of leaping orthopteran insects noted for the chirping notes produced by the male by rubbing together specially modified parts of the forewings
2
crickets: a conspicuous lack of response : silence
At one point I asked him a question and took a long sip of my drink to allow him a moment to pose the question back to me. It was crickets … Silence.—The Star
And yet, nothing. Crickets. Silence.—Kurt Bardella
You post day in and day out hoping to see the social side of social media start to happen. Sometimes, a like or two will pop up, but most of the time, you hear crickets. It's disheartening.—Jordan Kasteler
3
: a low wooden footstool
4
: a small metal toy or signaling device that makes a sharp click or snap when pressed
The protein-rich, low-fat bugs are a nutritious alternative to crickets or mealworms.—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2024 Now, over a decade later, his program has 86 teams and more than 1,000 children playing cricket.—Shanelle Kaul, CBS News, 8 June 2024 In a dramatic upset, the U.S. cricket team defeated Pakistan Thursday in this year’s men's T20 championship tournament.—Ayana Archie, NPR, 7 June 2024 One of the biggest upsets, if not the biggest upset, in cricket history.—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 7 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for cricket
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cricket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English criket, from Anglo-French, of imitative origin
Noun (2)
Middle French criquet goal stake in a bowling game
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